


It's a Love Story

by hllfire



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Based on Love Story (Taylor Swift), Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik is Crushing Harder than a 12-year Old Girl, Family Issues, First Meetings, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 14:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30073656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hllfire/pseuds/hllfire
Summary: Charles just needs to wait a year - just one more year - before he can finally go to Oxford and make his own choices, before he won't have to deal with his parents thinking they know what's best for him and telling him how to live his life, so he just goes with their wishes in the meantime. Then, one night during a Xavier party, he meets Erik Lehnsherr - suddenly, meeting his parents' expectations of him become harder than it already was.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 12
Kudos: 33





	It's a Love Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [feathershollyandgolly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathershollyandgolly/gifts).



> Well well well, if it isn't me again with a new fic even if I have no time to write at the moment lmao I've been meaning to write this Love Story au for a while now (Thank you Su for enabling me into this) because it's just chill with a side of drama, and I FINALLY have something to gift Simon (feathershollyandgolly) for his birthday, even if I'm _very_ late. So, Simon, happy belated birthday and I really hope you like this!!!
> 
> God knows when the next chapter is coming, but it will come!

Charles fixed his vest a little more on himself, sighing as he took another drink of- Champagne? White whine? He couldn't really remember which one it was, although he thought that focusing on the taste of the alcohol would be better than trying to pay attention to the people around him. The liquid met his lips, the bitter taste of champagne hitting his tongue — ah, it was champagne then, he never really liked it — and making him hum quietly to himself. 

He wasn't supposed to drink, at least he wasn't legally allowed yet at the sweet age of eighteen — that was how some people at that party had been describing it when they talked to him —, but he guessed that being Brian and Sharon Xavier's child, extremely rich,  _ and _ being one of the hosts of that party, would keep him away from getting in trouble with the law for a glass (or maybe more) of champagne.

Charles looked around for a moment seeing a group of people his age looking at him — the sons and daughters of the upperclassmen his parents knew, and the same ones that always thought it weird that Charles wouldn't join them whenever a gathering like that was happening. He didn't really like them and, if he was honest, he wasn't even supposed to be at Westchester and in their presence if it wasn't for his father's insistence that he stayed another year with the family before leaving for college like he tried to do when high school was over.

Charles had accepted his father's wishes, although he knew it was Brian's way of trying to convince Charles to not go away and become a professor. Brian Xavier only wanted the best for his son, and being a teacher  _ wasn't it. _

"I just think you can do better, Charlie," Brian had said at the night Charles had been ready to send his application to Oxford. Charles' shoulders deflated immediately, some of the enthusiasm leaving him at the lack of support from his father. "Take a year off, work with me at the company. You might like it."

_ Just another six months, _ Charles kept telling himself,  _ and I'm off to Oxford. _

He met Emma Frost's eyes for a moment as she looked at him, the only one he actually tolerated out of the small group of rich kids, and the only one who he could call a friend. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question if he'd join the others or not — if he'd save her from the conversations he knew she hated just as much as him or not. Charles only gave a slight shake of his head at her, a quiet apology in his eyes for not helping the girl, who just shrugged and looked away from him again. He'd make it up to her some other day, maybe take her to his family's beach house in Rhode Island that he knew she liked as an apology for not saving her from the other rich teenagers, but, for now, he didn't think he was able to keep a conversation with other people. 

Instead, he turned around and walked calmly towards the balcony of the ballroom, feeling the fresh summer breeze hitting his face immediately and smiling at it. There were less people outside, less noise and lights around him as the muffled sound of some classical music played inside. He took another sip of his champagne, grimacing at the taste once more — maybe he'd find his mother's stock of wine later that night, it surely was better than champagne —, and staring at the glass as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

He knew he wouldn't be able to get away with staying outdoors for much longer, not with his mother prowling around and making sure he was being social and getting along with the guests as the perfect Xavier heir —  _ heavens, _ he had been afraid she would try to style his hair like she would do when he was a small boy when he was getting dressed, but thankfully his appearance seemed enough for her that night —, but he would enjoy the fresh air and the night sky a little more.

His eyes looked up, the few visible stars shining against the dark night sky, making Charles smile calmly to himself before he turned around to look at the party again, seeing people walking around or standing in groups in their fancy clothes and with glasses like Charles' in their hands.

He couldn't say he hated these gatherings, at least not all of them, but he wasn't very fond of them, either. It always made Charles tired, trying to be a perfect version of himself all night to people who mostly wanted him to slip up so they could talk his family down. Emma, when not surrounded by the other upper class kids, was usually the best part of those parties — it was always amusing to see people thinking they'd end up getting engaged and bringing the Xavier and Frost families together. He thought that maybe he'd be able to steal her away at some point, he knew she would be more than glad to share one of Sharon Xavier's bottles of wine with him, when his eyes focused on someone at the party.

Charles didn't remember that man from other parties, which was totally normal since his father tended to add people to his friend list all the time whenever he went out golfing and met other wealthy people on the field — Brian Xavier was the most social man Charles knew, always making friends; it was almost impressive. But the man's demeanor seemed slightly out of place as he looked around, as if looking for someone, champagne in hands and everything. Maybe he was from a rising family, Charles guessed,  _ new money, _ and wasn't used to the scene he was being put in yet.

The man had a nice black suit on, a white shirt underneath but no vest.  _ Pitty, _ Sharon Xavier would say, because she was adamant that men should wear one under all circumstances, and he agreed with her on that — it always made men look more attractive. He had told her that once, months after coming out to his family, and she had raised her eyebrows at him, a glass of wine in hand.

"At least you have taste," she had said, which made Charles snort at the time. It wasn't always that Sharon Xavier was playful or cared about Charles at all, he tended to cherish those small moments.

The man's hair was neatly combed, the already hard features of his face slightly harder as he kept that weird concentration and kept looking around from time to time, but there was a gentle note to his features that screamed to Charles that the man was still young, even from that distance.

The man's eyes suddenly met Charles', eyebrows rising in some kind of surprise as he noticed he was being stared at. Charles didn't look away, frowning as he noticed the strange man look around him once again for a moment more, pressing his lips into a tight line, and hesitating before walking towards Charles. 

_ Oh great, _ Charles thought to himself,  _ I'll have to be social again. I have to stop staring at people. _

He took another sip of his champagne, the ratchet thing — it wasn't bad, he just never saw the appeal —, and waited for the man to get to the balcony and, consequently, to Charles.

"Hello," the man said, his voice slightly uncertain as he gave Charles a polite nod once he was close enough. He seemed tense — maybe he hated the act of being social in these things just as much as Charles.

"Hello." Charles offered him a smile, the one that was guaranteed to charm people. "Enjoying the party?"

"It's… good." His voice was strained, and up close he could see how young his face truly looked, he seemed around Charles' age if Charles wasn't wrong about it.

Sharp jawline and eyes, but there was a softness to his face that gave away he probably wasn't old enough for Charles' father to have befriended him. Maybe (most certainly) Brian was friends with this guy's parents. Charles decided he'd try a little harder to pay attention to him, try and welcome him there. Maybe, and Charles hoped so, this guy was alright and Emma wouldn't be his only friend anymore. 

He watched for a moment as the other man raised his hand, a small smile on his lips as he looked at Charles, but no less nervous —  _ Cute, _ Charles thought amusedly.

"I'm Erik."

"Charles Xavier," he said, shaking Erik's hand and seeing Erik's eyes widen comically as he seemed to realize who he was talking to. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The- the pleasure is all mine." 

"Decided to breathe some fresh air?" Charles offered, conversational, seeing Erik nod, still a little hesitant.

"Too many people in there," he shrugged, eyes never leaving Charles'. "Don't you think?"

"Always. The balcony is always less crowded."

"That's good to know."

There was silence for a moment, the awkward kind of silence that made Charles play with the small droplets of water forming on the outside of his glass as the champagne slowly got warmer. Neither he or Erik seemed to know what to say next, so Charles only turned to the stone railing of the balcony and stared at the grounds of the Westchester estate, hoping Erik would take the hint and stand by his side to do the same. 

Thankfully, Erik did, his free hand on the railing as he stared at the horizon just like Charles, fingers tapping against the stone nervously. They just stood side by side for a moment, the voices and songs from the party behind them.

"Why are you alone out here?" Erik asked suddenly, Charles' eyes moving to look at him again. 

"Why are you?" Charles shot back the question, seeing Erik shrug.

"You were alone and staring at me," he said, Charles' eyebrows rising slightly at his words. "I wanted to see what it was about."

"I wasn't…  _ staring. _ I just haven't seen you before. I was trying to figure out who you were."

"Ah," Erik uttered simply, fingers once again tapping against the stone railing.

When Charles noticed Erik wouldn't say anything else he quickly spoke again, trying to not bring back the awkward silence. "How old are you?"

It took a few seconds, but Erik answered in a quiet voice, "Nineteen. And you?"

"Eighteen. Are you enrolled in any university yet?" Charles' eyes shone with enthusiasm, turning completely to Erik now as he hoped the other boy would share his excitement. 

"Oh, um… No, unfortunately," Erik gave him a sheepish smile, making Charles give him one back, gentle and understanding.

"I understand. I should be in Oxford right now, and yet  _ here I am," _ Charles raised his glass in a mock toast, Erik's brow furrowing for a moment.

"And why aren't you?"

"Father wanted me to wait another year. Apparently my dreams are not the Xavier way."

"And what are your dreams?"

"To become a teacher," there was a bright smile on Charles' lips as he said that.

Emma was the only other person who knew of his dreams, who Charles had had the courage to tell what he wanted to do with his future, before his parents inevitably found out.

"Really, sugar?" She had said once, not very impressed with Charles' dreams. "I guess out of the two of us, you  _ were _ always the most patient with children."

"I think you'd be a good teacher as well," Charles had answered, seeing her face turn into a comic grimace that made him laugh.

He wasn't sure why he was revealing them to Erik after only a few minutes of meeting him, but it felt right. Erik  _ seemed _ like he wanted to listen. "Maybe a professor in the future."

"That's a good dream." Erik sounded sincere, a small smile on his lips that seemed to reflect in his eyes. 

"And what are  _ your _ dreams?" 

There was a pause as Erik thought about it, his eyes down to the ground for a moment before he raised them again. 

"To become a lawyer, I think," he said, a strange but compelling determination in his (Blue? Green? Grey? Charles couldn't tell in the partial dark of the balcony) eyes. "I like to think I'd be able to do good things if I was one."

"That's a good thought. And a good dream." There was a smile on Erik's lips again, almost shy at Charles' words as if he wasn't expecting them.  _ Cute, _ Charles thought once again. "But why haven't you gone to uni yet? I'm sure your parents were excited you would like to pursue law. I know  _ my _ parents would be thrilled if I said I wanted to be a lawyer."

"Oh, I- I… couldn't."

There was wariness in Erik's voice now as he played with his glass, eyes down to the railing. He didn't explain further.

"Well, maybe you could try Oxford," Charles offered in sympathy, grinning at Erik. Erik didn't grin back. "We could try our luck in a few months."

"Of course."

"You seem nervous," Charles finally pointed out, Erik's eyes finally rising again to look at him. "I hope you're not intimidated by me. I know I'm supposed to be the host but trust me when I say I didn't even want to be here."

Erik frowned for a moment at that, looking at Charles with curiosity. "And why is that?"

"Look around you," Charles said, waving generally at the party going on inside. Erik's eyes didn't leave him. "Do you think an eighteen year old would like to be here? I might be rich but I'm still a teenager..."

Another pause from Erik, another curious look, until his eyes looked over the railing at the empty gardens and then back at Charles' eyes. "Then why don't we go down there?"

Charles' eyebrows shot up, surprise and amusement filling his expression as Erik seemed to regret his own words, probably thinking he had said something wrong. 

"I can't be away for long," Charles said, taking Erik's hand and leaving the last bit of his champagne on the stone railing (it wouldn't be missed), starting to drag Erik back inside the party to get out of the ballroom. Erik seemed to stutter for a moment as his hand was held. "Mother would be very angry if I did."

They went through the crowd as quickly as possible, before someone could stop Charles to talk about something Charles really didn't care about. He wouldn't usually do this, wouldn't just drag a stranger outside during one of his parents parties like that and escape that place, but Erik had offered, and Charles would be stupid not to accept it. Besides, Charles couldn't help but to repeat  _ 'cute' _ inside his head whenever he shot a glance at Erik.

He guessed Erik was the first person in a long time to peak his interest. He didn't act like the other rich kids Charles knew, all of the others upon first meeting had acted like they owned the entire world, while Erik seemed like he wasn't sure what to do with the world he had in the palm of his hands. It was, for the lack of a better word,  _ 'cute' _ — Emma had always said that she wouldn't know he liked girls if he hadn't said he was bisexual right to her face with how much he gushed about boys, and Erik  _ was _ a good-looking boy after all.

They got to the garden, Charles looking behind himself a few times to make sure they weren't followed or that his mother wouldn't show up and drag him back to the party by the scruff of his neck — she would never do  _ that, _ but she could be very passive aggressive when she wanted to, which was enough to get Charles to do what she wanted. When they were alone, Charles turned to Erik again, a smile on his face as Erik smiled back, almost sheepish.

"What a thrill," Charles joked, the smile on Erik's lips turning more amused now. "I'm in my garden."

"Have you been here at night before?"

"Now that you mention it, no…"

Charles looked around himself for a moment, at the garden illuminated by fairy lights and a lone lamppost (Mother's idea, to give it more of a fancy look, even if she barely went there herself at night). It looked more like a different world at night, as if he was in one of the fairy tale stories his father used to tell him as a child before he went to sleep. "It's quite lovely, isn't it?"

"Yes," Erik confirmed, looking around himself as well. "It's a good place."

Charles watched as Erik's brow furrowed and he moved without saying a word, going towards a bush of flowers that Charles could barely remember the name of, and squatted down to look at them. His eyes went to the nearby gardening tools, taking a pair of gardening scissors and cutting a few parts of the bush as Charles raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing?"

"These bits are dead," he said calmly, stopping himself from what he was doing before looking up at Charles. He was nervous again. "They'll just be a nuisance to the plant if you don't take them off."

Charles crossed his arms, eyebrows rising together with the corners of his lips. "So you do gardening?"

Erik shrugged. "It's a good pastime… Do you know anything about it?"

"No," Charles shook his head. "I don't care for the garden. My mother does. Sometimes."

Charles watched as Erik took the rest of the dead parts and got up, fixing his trousers and looking back at Charles with another sheepish look, as if he really didn't know how to behave there.

"There's another one there with the same problem," Erik said, gesturing towards another nearby bush. "I could show you."

_ Cute, _ Charles' mind supplied again as he smiled at Erik. Maybe he should introduce Erik to Emma, make their circle of friends — not much of a circle, more of a line since it only consisted of her and Charles — a bit bigger. He definitely liked Erik.

"Then show me."

Charles laughed out loud at one of Erik's stories about his parents, seeing the other boy — and he could call him a boy considering Erik was only one year older than him — smile at him, almost proud of himself for making Charles laugh like that. As much as Charles knew his mother would give him a lecture about how bad of a host he was for staying with only one of the guests for so long, Charles couldn't bring himself to want to leave that place.

Erik had shown Charles how to care for his mother's plants, a quiet seriousness to his words as if he took it very seriously, and now Charles was almost eager to come back to the garden once in a while to tend for it. It was a good excuse for him to get more sunlight since all he ever did was work with his father and lock himself in the library to read while he waited for the break year he was forced to take to end. Now, Chalres sat with Erik on a bench his mother had put in the garden, where Charles knew she'd come to drink during the day when she felt like it. Erik was incredibly good company.

"I bought a small plastic cactus for my mother once, to put in her room and give it some decoration," Erik said, a brilliant smile on his lips as he said it that made Charles smile back. "She knows I like the little garden I keep at my window, so she thought it was a real cactus. She watered it for a few months until I caught her doing it and told her she has been watering plastic that whole time."

"She sounds lovely," Charles said with a chuckle. "Is she here? I'd love to meet her."

Erik's face did a funny thing then, making Charles frown at him. The nervousness was back for some reason.

"She's not," Erik said with a half-smile, his voice as nervous as he looked. His next words sounded less nervous, more truthful. "She would love to meet you, though… You're just the kind of person she'd bake something special for if you came to my house."

"She bakes?" Charles asked, legitimately impressed as Erik raised his eyebrows. "Mother can't stand in the kitchen without causing a fire."

"My mother does bake. Everyday." Charles gave him another impressed look, Erik's face turning amused as he saw it. "I do too."

"A man of many talents, I see," Charles laughed, seeing Erik chuckle with him. "Maybe I can talk to my father and I could pay you a visit. I'd like that."

"I'd like that too."

Charles smiled truthfully at his words, seeing Erik smiling back immediately with the same feeling behind it. Charles felt his heart beating faster for a moment, finally realizing how close to each other they were sitting, how Erik's eyes (which Charles hadn't been able to figure out the color just yet) were looking at him with a shine behind them that endeared Charles more than he could comprehend. 

Erik seemed to notice all those things as well, his expression turning nervous once again and a flush crossing his cheeks as his eyes roamed Charles' face and stopped on his lips. Charles' breath caught at that moment, wishing that Erik would lean forward and kiss him. That'd be the perfect ending to what turned out to be a perfect night, Charles realized. To be kissed in the garden by that boy, who made Charles laugh the whole night, and who made him forget for a while who he was and what he was doing there.

"Charles," Erik said, voice quiet and uncertain.

"Erik," Charles replied, eyes still on Erik's as the other man didn't know if he wanted to look at Charles' eyes or his lips.

"I really want to kiss you." Charles huffed out a small laugh at those words, nodding shortly.

"Then I have good news for you."

Erik leaned forward slowly, hesitant, and Charles only waited, his eyes closing as Erik got closer and closer to his face. His heart seemed to be hammering against his chest, the noise filling his ears as he eagerly waited for the moment he'd be kissed.

Before their lips could touch, however, there was a loud noise and someone else appeared in the garden. Charles opened his eyes as he realized the person was calling Erik's name, seeing a blonde girl in a lovely blue dress standing there, breathless, staring at Erik with urgency.

"Bad news," she said, not even batting an eye to Charles. "They found out about us. We have to leave. Right  _ now." _

Charles frowned, looking back at Erik and noticing how his expression became one of fear. He got up in a second, walking with long strides towards the girl and leaving Charles behind on the bench with a confused look in his eyes, trying to understand what had just happened.

Before Erik could leave the garden, however, he stopped. The girl complained as he turned back and ran back towards Charles, leaning down and placing a kiss to Charles' lips that made him let out a surprised noise. It was quick and not at all what Charles had expected moments before, Erik's lips leaving his far too quickly, leaving a tingly feeling on Charles' mouth from the force of the kiss, as well as the want for more.

"I'll see you again." There was conviction in Erik's voice, his words sounding like a promise, and Charles knew Erik was sure of his own words.

"Come  _ on, _ Romeo!" The blonde girl said between clenched teeth. "Security is coming and I  _ will _ leave you behind if you don't come quick!"

Erik gave Charles one last look before he ran with the girl by his side. Charles watched as they went, noticing the girl taking off her heels as she went to be able to run faster, the security team Brian Xavier had hired appearing outside moments later, but not fast enough to catch the two teenagers. 

Charles moved his fingers to his lips, the ghost of Erik's kiss still there as he hung onto the promise Erik had made before running away. At the same time, Charles tried to understand what the fuck just happened.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are more than appreciated and keeps an author's soul alive. Even a "❤️" or "+kudos" are valid and will make me happy. ❤️
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://hellfre.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/hllfire)!


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